Icy Sedgwick's Blog, page 16
August 27, 2022
The Folklore of Paper: Charms, Folk Songs, and Bibliomancy
Paper as a material first appeared around 2000 years ago in China. The earliest paper sheets were likely made from mulberry bark, rags, and hemp. The secret of papermaking travelled to north Africa and western Asia in the 8th century. In the 11th century, papermaking finally arrived in Europe via Spain and Sicily. Until this […]
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August 20, 2022
[Book Review] The Hollow Sea by Annie Kirby
The Hollow Sea tells the story of Scottie, a woman struggling to come to terms with her identity. Having been adopted as a child, she has no memories before the age of 8. Yet some ghosts from the past snag her attention, and she’s called to an island chain off the Scottish coast to find […]
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The Folklore of Glass: Slippers and Superstitions
Glass is a strange material. Its original source material is sand, but it needs human intervention through the application of heat and other processes to find form. We can see through it, but we can’t touch what’s on the other side. You can use it to concentrate a light source. Or it’s helpful if you […]
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August 13, 2022
The Folklore of Stones: From Hag Stones to Healing
Stones are perhaps some of humanity’s oldest friends. They provided building materials and became simple tools. But they also vary in size, making some of them very portable as amulets. It’s no wonder that they’ve accrued both lore and superstition alike. For example, the heaviness and general permanence of stone slabs led to their use […]
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August 6, 2022
The Folklore of Metals: Gold, Silver, Iron & Copper
Different metals are often baked into mythology. Look at griffins and dragons with their hoard of gold. Or Bellerophon’s use of molten lead to kill the deadly chimera. According to legend, people paid for their passage to the underworld with coins placed over their eyes. But how do different metals turn up in folklore? Why […]
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July 30, 2022
The Folklore of Edible Plants: Basil, Bay, Chamomile, Dill, Fennel & Oregano
There is something almost glamourous about poisonous plants. From their showy blossoms to their exotic names, they cry out for attention. So it’s easy to overlook the folklore associated with the far more humble edible plants. These are the herbs we cook with. We might pass them in the dried herbs section. Or we see […]
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July 23, 2022
Thyme to Find Romance? Meet the Herb of Love & Courage
Thyme is native to the western Mediterranean, and it is also found around western Asia and southern Europe. Garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the most common variety, and the type found in historical remedies (Brennan 2020). The usage of thyme dates to 3000 BC, at least. Sumerians used thyme as an antiseptic and to clear […]
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July 20, 2022
Protected: Story Structure – Writing Pulp
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July 16, 2022
Rosemary Folklore: From Tudor Weddings to Victorian Funerals
Rosemary is perhaps one of the most instantly recognisable scents among culinary herbs. It makes roast potatoes taste amazing, and I’ve always found its scent helpful when I need to concentrate. There’s also a lot of folklore associated with this plant. Rosemary was also known as Dew of the Sea, Elf Lead, Compass Weed, Guardrobe, […]
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July 9, 2022
Sage Folklore: Boost Your Love and Remembrance Spells
Sage has long been associated with wisdom, with the plant name even applied to those we consider to be wise (Harrington 2020: 114). As the second plant in the famous refrain, “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” from ‘Scarborough Fair’, it’s also the second plant in our Folklore of Edible Plants series. This fantastic plant was […]
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